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Holiday lights to glow at Ascarate Park again

The inauguration will be at 6 p.m. on Dec. 12 featuring a lighting ceremony, Christmas carols, a band and a mini cooper parade.

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A worker puts up Christmas lights at Ascarate Park in 2009. The Lights on the Lake holiday program will return to Ascarate Park and will run from Dec. 12 to Jan. 4.(Photo: Victor Calzada / El Paso Times)Buy Photo

Five years after the holiday lights display at Ascarate Park went dark, county officials are flipping the switch and bringing them back this season.

The Lights on the Lake holiday program will run from Dec. 12 to Jan. 4 at Ascarate Park, 6900 Delta, County Parks and Special Events Department officials said Monday.

“Everyone believes that this would be another great asset for El Paso families during the holiday season,” said County Judge Veronica Escobar.

“We always wanted to bring it back. We just had not had the resources or the personnel to really get it done,” she added.

The program was eliminated during budget cuts in 2010.

The inauguration will be at 6 p.m. Dec. 12 at the park and will feature a lighting ceremony, Christmas carols, a band and a MINI Cooper parade with Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus and the elves, said Bianca Cervantes, special events manager for the county.

The light structures will be located next to the lake in front of the pavilion and will be available for viewing from sundown until 10 p.m. every day, she said.

Cervantes said the county is in negotiations with food truck vendors, who in addition to selling food will offer hot chocolate and champurrado to the public on inauguration night and during the weekends.

The entry fee at Ascarate Park is $2 per car on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. There is no entry fee Monday through Thursday.

Escobar said the county recently hired a new park manager and a special event coordinator, who, with the help of the Public Works Department, were able to organize the event.

Escobar said this year’s light display was prepared in a short period of time and is going to be on a smaller scale compared to past years. She said she expects the display will grow in future years.

“It would be a great way to reignite the tradition with a little twist,” Escobar said.

She said staff will be soliciting donations, in addition to trying to generate some revenue from the entrance fee at the park.

The lights will be among several across the county, including the traditional Downtown lights display, San Elizario and the Fred Loya synchronized light show.